Scientists have identified 40 new areas within a DNA that could raise the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was conducted on 30,000 people and was published in the journal of Nature. This will lead to the development of new potential and innovative drugs to treat and cure RA.

There were significant faults nearly 40, in the DNA of patients when compared with normal patients.

“What this offers in the future is an opportunity to use genetics to discover new medicines for complex diseases like rheumatoid arthritis to treat or even cure the disease,” he said.

It is still in debate that identification of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) could pose any significant benefit as some researchers have claimed that “silencing” SNPs will not reduce the intensity of the symptoms.

“It offers tremendous potential. This approach could be used to identify drug targets for complex diseases, nut just rheumatoid arthritis, but diabetes, Alzheimer’s and coronary heart disease”

SNPs was present in both patients suffering from RA and blood cancer according to the researchers. So it would be possible that the drug used to treat blood cancer could also be helpful in treating RA.

“There are already therapies that have been designed in the cancer field that might open up new opportunities for retargeting drugs,” she told BBC News.

“It might allow us a straightforward way to add therapies we have to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis”.